Sorting of the New Marauders
by AlliedHeart
Summary: I knew instantly that these boys would be the new Marauders. Written from Neville's point of view: the sorting of some next generation kids.


It never ceased to amaze me. No matter how many times I have stepped foot in the Great Hall in Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, I am awed each and every time. I remember my first time in here. I was a scared eleven year old boy who did not even believe he belonged in a world so astounding. However, despite my fear, the hall had taken my breath away. Even though I was raised in the wizarding world, I could not believe how the ceiling could be bewitched to look like the night sky. It just seemed too much like a dream to be possible. I remember looking up at the clear, cloudless sky and having my fear, for that moment, evaporate. The stars were twinkling even brighter than Dumbledore's knowing eyes. Of course my fear came back as soon as I looked down.

The thrill is still there when I walk in the Great Hall. Except this time, I relive my first experience through all the new first years waiting to be sorted. I had just given them the same speech I had heard from Professor McGonagall in my time. Now, with this year's newest first years trailing behind me, I look up at the staff table. Professor McGonagall sits in the seat that was once Dumbledore's; Professor Flitwick now in the seat that was hers. My empty chair is on her other side. I look back up at the ceiling as I do every time. Tonight, it is similar to that night. My first night here at Hogwarts.

I finally make it to the staff table where I place the stool with the Sorting Hat on it before turning back to the first years. They are filing in around the stool nervously glancing at it. I smile slightly knowing exactly what it felt like in their place. It may have been twenty-five years now since my sorting, but I do not think anyone completely forgets the experience. I also smile for another reason. That being that I am happy that this is even possible. It has been eighteen long years since the war ended, but old habits die hard. I was changed during that war, and now, it makes me happy to know that another year of peace has gone by. Not that I would call teaching a bunch of trouble-makers peaceful, but still. I love my job anyway.

While the hat sings this year's song, I think. A lot has happened since the war. I got this job, got married, had two beautiful children, and I couldn't be happier. I have my family, and I don't just mean my immediate family. I mean the Potters and the Weasleys and the Scamanders too. I love that my wife, children and I get invited to the Burrow every Sunday for the Family Lunch. There I can see Ginny and Harry and Ron and Hermione and all of their kids.

At the thought of all the Weasley and Potter kids, my eyes drift over to the Gryffindor table. They "Weasley Clan", as they call themselves, have a whole section of the table to themselves and I can see the seats that are saved for who are sure to be new Gryffindors. I look back at the first years.

My eyes immediately meet my daughter's hazel one's. I give her a reassuring smile and begin calling the names. "Amora, Clayton." One by one, the young witches and wizards take their place on the stool until the hat calls out the name of their house. The first name I actually recognize is "Jordan, Layla." A young girl with caramel color skin and with her dark hair in braids runs up, sits on the stool and jams the hat on her head.

"Gryffindor!"

I watch her go off to the cheering table and sit near the Weasley Clan. I can't help but to chuckle as I read the next name: "Jordan, Lee jr." Of course Lee would have twins; he was such a good friend with the Weasley twins. And only Lee would name his son after himself.

"Gryffindor!"

The boy, so identical to his sister, joined her at the Gryffindor table.

A few more names later, I found myself reading out "Longbottom, Alice." My oldest child, with her blond hair and hazel eyes looks so much like my wife, Hannah, and almost nothing like my mother, her namesake. I held my breath as she sat down and placed the hat on her head. I had no idea what house she would be in; she shows the qualities of all of them combined. And with me, a Gryffindor, and Hannah, a Hufflepuff, as her parents, I didn't know.

Finally, "Gryffindor!"

I was supposed to be impassive as a teacher, but I couldn't help but clap along with Gryffindor house for my daughter as she joined the Weasley Clan at my old table. I couldn't believe my daughter was in Gryffindor just like me. I guess there is more of me in her than I thought.

I called a few more names, recognizing a few as children of people I had had classes with in my time here at Hogwarts. Finally I got to one that I was particularly close to: "Potter, James." As the young boy, my surrogate nephew in a way, walked up to the stood, whispers broke out everywhere. Students all over the hall were standing up to get a better look at Harry Potter's oldest son. The small boy jammed the hat over his mop of black hair that is so like his father's and shut his mother's brown eyes tightly. Out of the three Potter children, Jamie looked most of a mix between his parents. And you could tell he had Weasley blood in him by his freckles. You could also tell when you got to know him; he isn't the nephew of Fred and George Weasley for nothing. That's when I noticed he was laughing. _Laughing? _Of course he is. Only Jamie Potter, and maybe the Marauders and the Weasley twins, would laugh while being sorted.

"Gryffindor!" the hat shouted. James started walking over to his family but not before turning around, giving me a slightly cocky look in the process, and yelled, "Thanks, mate!" to the hat. I had never seen someone do anything like that before. The whole hall broke out in laughter as he gave a thumbs up to his cousins still waiting to be sorted, then walked over to the Weasley Clan at the Gryffindor table.

I read a few more names before getting to: "Weasley, Fred." I saw some of the older teachers give sad looks at the boy because of his namesake, of whom he didn't look like much at all. The boy walked up and put the hat on. Unlike Jamie, he kept his bright blue eyes wide open. His skin was a mix of his father's pale freckled complexion and his mother's dark one. He untidy brown hair fell into his eyes, that were the only visible part of his father that was easily recognizable.

I noticed he was laughing now too. I realized that Jamie and Freddie must have planned this. I heard an audible groan from the staff table. Looking over at Professor McGonagall, I knew at once what she was thinking. She had said it once before when she visited the Burrow. Jamie and Freddie were only about 8 at the time. She said that they would be worse trouble-making pranksters than the Weasley twins the the Marauders put together. I didn't disagree with her.

"Gryffindor!" shouted the hat. Still laughing, Fred got up and said loud enough for everyone to hear: "That was a good one! I'll have to remember that!" Again, the hall was roaring in laughter. I watched him go over and sit down next to James and give him a high five. I had a feeling, as Head of Gryffindor House, I would have those to in my office way too many times over the next seven years.

The next name I called was: "Weasley, Louis." I could practically hear all the female population sighing as the boy took a seat on the stool. With his mother's blond hair, blue eyes and natural veela enhanced good-looks I knew he would soon be popular. It didn't take him long until the hat called: "Gryffindor!"

He went over and sat down near Jamie and Freddie and gave them high fives. I knew instantly that those three would be the new Marauders. Both Louis' sisters went over and gave him hugs as I continued calling names. The Weasley Clan was big, and it was still growing. Over the next few years I would be calling out more of their names to join the table. It had started with Teddy Lupin. He too was like a surrogate nephew; all the Weasley children were my surrogate nieces and nephews. I had watched him grow into that blue-haired young man that had signed up for the auror academy after graduating last year. Then there was Victoire. She is her mother's miniature in her sixth year now. Her sister Dominique, on the other hand, you could tell was a Weasley. The fourth year's hair was the famous Weasley red. Her best friend and cousin, Molly, also with Weasley-red-headed fourth year sits next to her. She looks like she is reading her new books already. Figures. She sure takes after her father, Percy. Now there is Jamie, Freddie, and Louis at the table, along with Alice.

I smiled as I thought how all of this is possible now since the war ended. Suddenly, fireworks burst from the Gryffindor table. Knowing exactly who the masterminds were, I didn't even have to look over to see Jamie and Freddie high fiving each other and everyone around them. I knew I would have to, already, give them detention for this, but right now, I decided to let them enjoy it. You only get to be young once, and I don't want their childhood taken away just as mine, and all my friends' had. So laughing along with them, I was content with my life.


End file.
